Why People Watch (and Follow) Fools

The world is watching while a promoter vacillates back and forth as to whether a “celebrity fight” between Trayvon Martin murderer, George Zimmerman, and rapper DMX, will take place. While it is upsetting that such a fight—featuring a murderer—would move forward, either now or at a later date, the reality is that, whenever the fight is held, people are going to talk about it—then people are going to watch it—and then they are going to talk about it some more.

George Zimmerman has chosen to exploit his notoriety for money. Zimmerman is not famous. He’s infamous. There’s a difference. People chase fame—many for all the wrong reasons—and some will do anything to get in the media. Lie—cheat—steal—and kill. Zimmerman chose the latter. Zimmerman understood how to get around the loopholes in the law.

George Zimmerman is a fool of the worst kind. The primary definition of a fool is “one who is deficient in judgment, sense or understanding”—or “acts unwisely on given occasions.” The secondary definition is “a person that enjoys something very much.”

Zimmerman foolishly sought to commit murder to embolden his megalomania. It is almost as he has taken some sort of distorted pleasure in his murderous act. Most fools are meglomanics—they have a distorted reality of their own fame and they have their own following. Fools, somehow, find each other. Fools know how to appeal to other fools—people who as just as deficient in their understanding as the fool himself. And enjoys his company…

Thus, the term—fool followers.

Zimmerman’s infamy will live forever so he’s decided to become notorious. Since people think he’s a villain, why not get paid to be the villain? He’s clowned the system once, doesn’t mind touting that he succeeded in fooling the public and has even sought to do it again with his recent woman-beating and speeding encounters. Now he’s looking to get paid for it.

It’s simple economics. He knows there are people that will pay to see his foolish act. Why DMX is doing this—is another column. Just know people do anything for money.

People are crying out that Zimmerman shouldn’t be treated as a celebrity for committing murder and getting away with it. Celebrity—like fame—is a relative proposition.

Well, let’s get something straight…George Zimmerman is a celebrity.

Justice for Trayvon Martin made the case a cause celebre’ against Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Law. George Zimmerman became the poster in defense of stand your ground. He received donations from all over the country, in excess of $170,000 for his legal defense. He became the villain in the case—but he prevailed. Justice isn’t always blind—nor is it always fair.

Just as the black community vilified the verdict, there were people on the other side that celebrated the verdict. So, whether you like him or not—whether you agree with the verdict (or not)—understand that George Zimmerman is somebody’s celebrity, and he can appeal to whom he pleases—regardless if it disgusts the rest of us.

Your disgust is wasted on a fool, for he already has what he wants from you–your attention. For as long as a fool has your attention—he has you. Ignore him, and he has nothing.

A fool is to be left alone in his own folly.

George Zimmerman knows he has the public’s attention—only part of which is wrath. Zimmerman is a hero to those xenophobes (and homophobes) who fear black male imagery at every turn. He tested the law and he won, and for that he is a celebrity—the man who beat the rap. People will pay to root for and watch their celebrity (try to) beat somebody else. DMX fits the bill of the most exaggerated black imagery. He personifies “the Angry Black Man” that America fears so much. People will pay to see George beat another one down—maybe kill him.

Now here’s the kicker, other people will pay to root against the villain—to see him get his butt kicked. Why do you think—for a second—that DMX (or Kanye West, who had sense enough to decline) was selected? Why didn’t Zimmerman join the WWF or fight a white man? Because they represent the very personification of black rage. “Black Rage” vs. “Stand Your Ground” is the billing. There is no outrage when black rage is attacked. It’s worked before…

People paid to watch Muhammad Ali, who was nobody’s fool. People also paid to watch him lose—as he was the villain for his anti-war stance—but it was the anti-black, anti-Muslim sentiment that made people pay to see him lose.

Everybody made money. Nobody had a bigger following than Ali, pro and con.

People will pay to watch Zimmerman act a fool—and make no mistake, he is a fool. But he’s also targeting the population most aggrieved by Trayvon’s death. It’s like thumbing his nose at the black community a second time. And he knows the black community will buzz the hell out of the fight—cancelled or not. So, who’s really the fool here—for even talking about this?

People say, we stopped it…really? Did you, or did you give a fool more hype for the next round? A fool will make you a fool too. Fool followers are just as bad as the fool because they legitimize the fool and his behavior. They give the fool the desired attention they seek.

You ask yourself, “Why do people follow fools?”

It’s because people like spectacles, and they like to watch people who make spectacles of themselves—“actin a fool,” as we used to say. Fools do things for attention. The more you pay attention to a fool, the more they act out. The moment you stop paying attention to a fool—they walk off, looking for someone else that will pay attention them. And there are some people that will follow a fool, just to see what the fool is going to do next—because they need attention too.

Just reflect back to your school days when it got around campus that there was going to be a fight after school. The hype—the anticipation—made for a large following after school, where they followed the combatants three or four blocks away from school, just to see what was going to happen—which most times was a bunch of nothing. Thus—your earliest lessons in fool following. The class clown was the biggest fool in the school—they were also the biggest celebrity—and outside of athletes, had the biggest followings.

That’s how you know fools have followings too.

Well, George Zimmerman is a spectacle now, who has a legitimate following—and he has a second wave of fool followers who watch him just to see what he’s going to do next.

George Zimmerman may have clowned the justice system, but he’s eventually going to get clowned—because, like most fools, he doesn’t know how, or when, to stop.

In the meantime, we need to stop giving a fool the attention he is craving. Once that happens, George Zimmerman, like all fools—devoid of attention, will become irrelevant and just fade away. Until he breaks the law again—because that’s what fools do…they don’t learn.

About Anthony Asadullah Samad

Dr. Anthony Asadullah Samad is an author, scholar and the co-founder, Managing Director and host of the Urban Issues Forum. Dr. Samad's most recent book is entitled "Saving The Race: Empowerment Through Wisdom". His national column can be read in newspapers and cyber-sites nationwide. His weekly writings can be read at www.blackcommentator.com. For more information about Dr. Samad, go to www.AnthonySamad.com.

Comments

This a particularly revolting racist longwinded statement in view of the known facts of the Zimmerman case. In the beginning the neighborhood watch captain did what he was elected to do. At the end he was not standing his ground but was on his back being beaten to death by someone stronger than he. the weapon was concrete. Shooting was a reasonable response resulting in the death of the aggressive attacker. There could have been a civil trial but that would produced evidence to the contrary of Trayvon being an innocent young black male bound for college. Nonsense.

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